4th Vaping Death In Massachusetts In 3 Months

MASSACHUSETTS — A Middlesex County man became the fourth person in Massachusetts to die of vaping-related illness in the last three months. State health officials confirmed Wednesday the man was in his 70s and was vaping marijuana.

"Today’s news is a tragic reminder that we must remain vigilant about the dangers of vaping," said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel. "There are resources available to help people quit and we encourage anyone to use these resources."

In November, DPH reported the death of a man in his 50s from Worcester County who reported vaping both nicotine and THC. In October, the state reported the vaping-associated lung injury deaths of a woman in her 40s from Middlesex County and a woman in her 60s from Hampshire County, both of whom vaped nicotine.

The case is one of 36 confirmed cases of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury or illness reported to the Center for Disease Control since September. Since the state began mandating the report, DPH has received 341 reports from clinicians of suspected vaping-associated lung injuries. Of those, 109 cases of EVALI have been identified, with 36 confirmed cases and 73 probable cases reported to the CDC.